


turn the jukebox way down low

by notallballs (notallbees)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Bad Decisions, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Pining, Post-Canon, Slow Burn, Unrequited Crush
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-03
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-09-21 06:26:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17038457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notallbees/pseuds/notallballs
Summary: Satori's eyes widened. "Ohthat'sOikawa-kun." he ran his eyes over the other boy, appraising him. He may have been skinny, but he was obviously strong, and from what Satori had heard of Oikawa, he was a formidable opponent in other ways. Satori glanced back at Ushijima. The stiff set of his shoulders and unmoving expression could have meant anything, but Satori had made something of an art of studying Ushijima's expressions and trying to determine his mood. He knew the subtle cues that meant Ushijima was disappointed. "Well," he said, turning to look at their current opponents with a smirk. "This is going to be fun."Tendou likes Ushijima. Ushijima likes Oikawa. Sooner or later, something has to give.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lhtkd](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lhtkd/gifts).



> Happy belated birthday, my lovely Leah! I thought of all kinds of nasty™ things to write you, and then I came up with this instead. Tendou and Oikawa are pretty nasty to each other though, so that's the tradeoff. 
> 
> Apparently all my ushiten titles are comin from prefab sprout songs. This one from [He'll have to go](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI-c6ZHpxhg) :3c

It was their first official match of the season. Their first official match as high schoolers. Ushijima was already on the roster of regular players, _of course_ , while Satori and Semi were warming the bench. It was better than being stuck up in the stands at least, and more than Satori had hoped for at his first high school prefectural tournament. 

"Oi, Semisemi."

Semi ignored him. 

Satori crept closer to his teammate and tried again. "Semisemi," he hissed, giving Semi's jersey a quick tug.

"What," Semi asked, giving him a flat look. 

"What's with the tsundere act?" Satori asked, grinning at him. He pointed at Ushijima, who was exchanging looks with a player on another court. "Who's that prettyboy over there? The one Ushijima-kun keeps staring at?"

Semi smacked his hand out of the air, then followed his gaze across to the other court. The team wore white jerseys with turquoise accents, and Ushijima's eyes were glued to one player in particular, a skinny setter with pretty features and a nasty smile. As they watched, Ushijima raised his hand in greeting. The other boy looked briefly surprised, then he sneered and turned his back, laughing with one of his teammates.

Semi snorted. "That's Oikawa Tooru. Thinks he's god's gift to volleyball."

Satori's eyes widened. "Oh _that's_ Oikawa-kun." he ran his eyes over the other boy, appraising him. He may have been skinny, but he was obviously strong, and from what Satori had heard of Oikawa, he was a formidable opponent in other ways. Satori glanced back at Ushijima. The stiff set of his shoulders and unmoving expression could have meant anything, but Satori had made something of an art of studying Ushijima's expressions and trying to determine his mood. He knew the subtle cues that meant Ushijima was disappointed. "Well," he said, turning to look at their current opponents with a smirk. "This is going to be fun."

They defeated the first two teams handily, first in two sets, then in three. Looking over, Satori was pleased to find that Aoba Jousai had done the same. Oikawa was laughing as his teammates piled on top of him, one reaching up to ruffle his hair, producing an indignant squawk.

"I'm going to destroy that prettyboy," Satori growled, rubbing his hands together in glee.

Semi snorted. "Yeah."

As they watched, Ushijima drifted to the edge of the court, and Oikawa broke away from his friends to greet him 

"Uh oh," Semi said, although he made no move to intervene. They both watched as Ushijima attempted to make conversation, while Oikawa responded by taunting him and sticking out his tongue. 

They watched for a minute, but Oikawa didn't seem any more inclined to behave civilly. Satori squinted at them. "Should we go over?"

"And do what?"

"I dunno, make him cry?" 

Semi elbowed him. "Don't be a dick."

"Well, he has it coming!" Satori protested.

"Who has what coming?"

They both snapped to attention at the sound of Ushijima's voice, as though expecting him to tell them off. 

"Tendou's got some kind of dumb vendetta against Oikawa," Semi said, jerking a thumb in the direction of Aoba Jousai, who were collecting their things and starting to file out of the gym. Oikawa was laughing, his arm slung around the broad shoulders of another first year with spiky dark hair. 

"Semisemi!" Satori whined. 

"Not that I can blame him," Semi muttered. "Guy's a first class jerk."

Ushijima frowned at them. "Oikawa is a talented athlete. Even as a first year, his skills are unparalleled in—"

"Oh, are they?" Semi asked, his voice cold.

Satori's heart sank. Ushijima's face didn't change. 

"Semisemi," Satori said, reaching out, but Semi shrugged him off.

"I'm going to refill my water bottle," he growled, shouldering past. "I'll see you on the bus."

Ushijima turned to watch him go, then looked back at Satori. "Is he upset?" he asked, blinking at Satori. 

Satori grimaced. "Well, Semi's a pretty good setter too," he ventured. "You probably wouldn't like it if he came up to you and started talking about how Aoba Jousai has the best wing spiker in the whole prefecture."

"If that were true then my feelings would be irrelevant," Ushijima said. "Talent speaks for itself."

"Feelings can be more important than the truth," Satori shot back. "You should support your teammates, not kick them when they're down."

Ushijima's frown deepened. "I did not mean to kick him. Semi performed well in the last set."

"Maybe you should tell him that," Satori said. "And spend a little less time singing Oikawa-kun's praises."

"I see," Ushijima said. He hesitated, squeezing his water bottle thoughtfully, considering his next words. "Have I made you angry?"

Satori bit the inside of his cheek. With some effort, he forced a grin. "Of course not, Ushijima-kun!" he said in a cheerful voice. "Let's go and find Semisemi. We need to go over strategy for tomorrow." 

Ushijima blinked at him. "But you are both in the reserves." 

"Maybe," Satori said, grinning at him. "But that meant I got to watch Aoba Jousai play, and I've got a few ideas about how to throw a wrench in their gears." 

 

—

 

Satori realised he had a crush on Ushijima at the exact moment he realised that Ushijima had a crush on Oikawa. 

It was near the end of second year, and Satori was at the mall with Semi, because Semi was the only one with nothing better to do than go with him to buy a copy of _Jump_ and some new knee pads. On their way back to the bus stop, Satori made them stop to buy bubble tea and they sat in the window passing his magazine back and forth and arguing good-naturedly.

"Hey," Semi said, catching hold of his elbow and nodding out of the window. "Is that Ushijima?"

Satori's head whipped round, and he caught sight of Ushijima outside the opposite row of shops, pushing a baby in a pram. "Huh," he said, squinting. "It _is_ him."

"Who's the baby belong to?"

"Doesn't he have a little sister?"

Semi shrugged. "Maybe."

"I'm pretty sure he does," Satori said, watching as Ushijima crouched over the pram, then lifted the crying baby in his arms. 

"Uh oh," Semi said, grimacing off to the side. 

Following his gaze, Satori saw what had him worried. Oikawa was walking toward Ushijima, although they didn't seem to have noticed each other yet. 

"Run interference?" Semi suggested.

"What's he gonna do?" Satori asked, toying with his straw. "The baby's already crying."

Semi shrugged. "Put a curse on it?"

Satori snorted with laughter, spewing bubble tea out of both nostrils. "Shit—" he muttered, half laughing and half choking.

"Gross," Semi said, slapping him between the shoulders. He grabbed a handful of napkins and shoved them in front of Satori's face. "Clean yourself up, dude."

Still giggling, Satori mopped up the mess he'd made, while Semi went to talk to the pretty waitress to try and distract her from Satori's misadventure. As he wiped warm milk off his chin, he looked up in time to see Ushijima and Oikawa notice each other. Oikawa had a small boy in tow, and he pulled the boy in front of him as he stopped to talk to Ushijima, as though using him as a shield. Ushijima shifted the baby in his arms and said something that made Oikawa laugh. Satori squinted at them, trying to determine if Oikawa was making fun of him, or whether he'd been switched out for a pod person.

As he watched, Oikawa's miniature companion tugged on his arm and pointed in the direction of the bubble tea shop, right at Satori.

"Uh oh."

"What is it?" Semi asked, sitting back down beside him.

"Two o'clock," Satori said, grimacing. 

Semi glanced up, to where Oikawa and Ushijima were now walking toward them with their respective kids in tow. "Uh oh."

"Should we hide? We should hide. Why is Wakatoshi being all buddy buddy with Oikawa-kun?"

"How should I kno—hi!" Semi said, adjusting quickly when the bell over the door jangled and Oikawa stepped inside, being dragged by the little boy, and turned to hold the door open for Ushijima. 

"Semi, Tendou," Ushijima said, blinking at them. 

Oikawa looked round and his eyes widened when he caught sight of them. "Takeru, look out," he said, bending down to hoist the boy up in his arms. "We've been outnumbered."

"Tooru!" the boy whined, struggling to be freed. "Put me down!"

"No," Oikawa said, holding him fast. "What kind of tea do you want? Make it quick."

"Uhhh…"

"Aren't you going to introduce us, Wakatoshi-kun?" Satori said. Semi elbowed him, but it was too late. 

Ushijima, who had been fussing over the baby in her pram, stood up and cleared his throat. "This is Oikawa Tooru," he said. "And his nephew Takeru." He glanced at Oikawa. "Oikawa, this is Semi—"

"I know who they are, Ushiwaka-chan," Oikawa said in a testy voice.

"Yes," Ushijima said flatly. He stood back and gestured to the baby. "And this is my little sister, Akiko. Our mother has gone to buy a dress."

A hollow silence followed his words, and Satori had to stifle the urge to giggle. Oikawa's nephew stared round at them all. He had short, black hair and a big scab on his chin, but he had the same wide, brown eyes as his uncle. 

"Are you all from Shiratori…wa..."

"Shiratorizawa," Ushijima corrected. "Yes, Semi and Tendou are my teammates."

Takeru blinked at him. "You're the ones that always beat Tooru."

"Takeru!" Oikawa wailed.

"What?" Takeru complained, struggling again. Oikawa finally relented and set him down on his feet, and Takeru scowled up at him. "Mom says it's good for you to lose sometimes anyway, because you have a giant head!"

Unable to hold it in any longer, Satori collapsed in a fit of laughter, while beside him Semi was struggling to hold back his own laughter. He leaned heavily on Satori's shoulder, his hand over his mouth.

"Takeru," Oikawa groaned, grabbing his nephew and slapping a hand over his mouth. "That's it, you can forget your bubble tea."

Ushijima, who had watched these proceedings with a nonplussed expression, saw fit to step in at that moment. He dropped to one knee in front of Takeru. "Do you play volleyball, Takeru-kun?"

Takeru nodded. 

"Then you know that the strongest team wins in volleyball," Ushijima said. Again, Takeru nodded. "But that doesn't mean that the team that lost didn't have strong players," Ushijima went on. "Your uncle is the strongest player I have ever faced."

"Ushijima," Oikawa said softly, his eyes widening. 

It was the first time, outside of those split seconds after defeat, that Satori had ever seen Oikawa look vulnerable. It was unsettling, but worse was the way Ushijima was looking up at him, his face soft, a half-smile touching his mouth. Satori's heart hammered against his ribs.

"W-well," Oikawa said, putting his hands on Takeru's shoulders. "We need to be getting along. See you!"

"But—"

Takeru's protest was lost as Oikawa yanked him back out of the café, and dragged him away in the direction they'd come. 

"That was interesting," Semi said, taking his seat again. He was blissfully unaware of what had just happened, of the sudden turmoil in Satori's chest. "Why'd you ask him to hang out?" he said to Ushijima.

Ushijima blinked at them, then lowered his gaze. "Because he spoke to me," he said quietly. 

"Oh, right," Semi said, not getting it.

But Satori did. He knew with a sudden clarity what all of Ushijima's lingering looks meant, the reason behind his determination to befriend Oikawa. It was the sweetest torture, discovering that the boy he liked was also interested in boys, just not the right one. 

"Cheer up," Satori said, forcing himself to sound upbeat. "If he managed to have a real human conversation once, I'm sure he can do it again."

"Thank you," Ushijima said, nodding. 

"Yeah," Satori said, jumping up from his seat. He felt like he needed to run, or jump around, maybe throw himself off a building to see if he'd bounce. Satori had never liked anyone before. It was a revelation, and not a wholly pleasant one. "So, I gotta go. I'll see you at school?"

"Satori—"

"Dude, what?"

But he didn't look back, grabbing the remains of his drink and bolting out of there before they could stop him. 

 

—

 

Satori held onto his feelings as quietly as he was able to. When he couldn't be quiet, he was loud with everyone. He showered affection on the first and second years, poked and prodded and teased everyone, hoping that it wouldn't be so obvious when he pestered Ushijima for his attention. 

On their last day of school, he was careful to divide his time between classmates, teammates, resisting the urge to stick close to Ushijima's side. Semi had a look in his eye like he wanted to get him alone, but Satori managed to avoid him until after the graduation ceremony, when they all stood outside the school building, teary-eyed, bidding a final farewell to the rest of the team. 

Satori stood at the edge of the crowd, forcing a grin, and occasionally offering a sarcastic comment. 

"You should tell him," Oohira said quietly, leaning against the wall beside him.

Satori glanced at him. "Tell who what?" he asked, as though he hadn't been staring at Ushijima. As though he wasn't _always_ staring at Ushijima. 

Oohira cleared his throat gently. "Don't you hate keeping it from him?"

"Actually I was feeling pretty good with the illusion where nobody knew about it."

"Sorry."

Satori sighed. "Does everyone know?"

Oohira shook his head. "Just me and Semi, I think. You know we don't care that you—"

"Thanks," Satori said, cutting him off with a smile that was mostly genuine. "I—thank you. I appreciate it."

"For what it's worth," Oohira murmured. "We thought the two of you would—you know."

Satori snorted. "I know. Me too, kinda."

"Then why not tell him how you feel?"

 _Why not_ , Satori thought. There had to be worse things than the quiet agony of a straightforward rejection. Maybe if he'd kept quiet out of cowardice, he might be tempted to throw caution to the wind.

"He wouldn't know what to do with me liking him," he said, shaking his head. "He likes someone else."

Oohira's face fell. "I didn't know."

"Yeah," Satori said, with laughter that didn't reach his eyes. "So that's it for us." He grinned and slapped Oohira on the shoulder. "Don't worry so much. University is where weirdos like me come into our own."

"Yeah," Oohira said, smiling at him. "I'm going to miss you, Tendou."

"You too," Satori said, pulling him into a hug. "Don't forget about me."

Oohira laughed. "Who could forget about _you_?"

 _He could_ , Satori thought, thinking of how much Ushijima had ahead of him. But he just grinned, and shrugged. "I'm counting on you, Reon-kun."

 

—

 

Satori's stomach was in knots as his train pulled into the station. It was his first time seeing Ushijima since they had both left for separate cities. He wasn't surprised that Ushijima had chosen somewhere quiet and rural, somewhere much like his hometown in Miyagi. As much as Satori missed him, he couldn't picture Ushijima living in Tokyo. 

It was almost eight months since they had last seen one another, but Ushijima was exactly as he remembered. Satori grinned and waved at him, his stomach tumbling when Ushijima returned his wave with a smile and a nod. Satori resisted the urge to vault the ticket gate in his excitement, and instead limited himself to enveloping Ushijima in a merciless hug as soon as he was through.

"Hello, Satori," Ushijima said, his voice muffled in Satori's shoulder. 

Satori grinned and released him, keeping hold of his shoulders. "Hey. Did you miss me?"

"Of course," Ushijima said. 

"Wakatoshi-kun!" Satori cheered, pulling him into another hug. He was careful not to let it linger, but he was equal parts relieved and dismayed to find that Ushijima smelled at least as good as he remembered. "So!" he said as he pulled away. "What's the plan?"

He was touched when it soon became clear that Ushijima had planned their visit carefully. First he gave Satori a tour of his campus, then he took him to a shabby arcade full of beaten up games machines. It smelled of teenagers and feet, and Satori beamed and pulled Ushijima close again in his excitement. 

"Wakatoshi-kun, this place is horrible," he said with barely-restrained glee. 

Ushijima's face fell. "Oh. Would you prefer to go somewhere else?"

Satori shook his head. "Not a chance, this is _perfect_."

They stayed at the arcade for several hours, while Satori taught Ushijima how to play all of his favourite games, and then retired to a downmarket burger joint across the street. 

"I suspect this food is not very nutritional," Ushijima observed, tucking into his burger anyway.

"Your suspicions are correct," Satori said, laughing. "But everyone needs to kick back and eat trashy food sometimes."

"Perhaps not too often, in my case," Ushijima said, looking amused. 

They talked a little longer about nothing in particular. Neither of them had anything new to tell the other about their mutual acquaintances, but they chatted about them anyway, sharing memories of school and volleyball. 

"Question," Satori said at last, picking up one of Ushijima's untouched fries and chomping it. It was a bad idea to ask—he knew that, but he didn't seem to be able to stop himself, his mouth moving without consulting his brain. "If you had to kiss one of your volleyball rivals, who would you choose?" 

Ushijima blinked back at him. He seemed unconcerned about Satori stealing his food, but then it was hardly the first time it had happened. Satori stole a few more fries, trying to seem nonchalant. 

"Why would I have to kiss them?" Ushijima asked at last. 

Satori shrugged. "It's just a hypothetical scenario. Who would you pick?" 

"Is someone making me choose?"

"Alright, yeah, it's a super villain," Satori said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "If you don't kiss one of your rivals, the villain will kill everyone." 

Ushijima frowned. "What is their motive behind—"

"Wakatoshi-kun!" Satori interrupted, laughing. "Just humour me, okay? I'm curious." He grinned. "Come on, if it makes you feel better, I'll go first." 

Ushijima shook his head. "That's alright. I would choose Oikawa." 

Sartori's smile tightened slightly. "Is that right?" 

"If the alternative was a multiple homicide," Ushijima said, with the faintest trace of humour in his voice. 

"But," Satori said, forcing laughter. "Oikawa-kun isn't your rival anymore. You're on the same team!" 

Ushijima frowned again. "Yes, officially we're teammates. In reality, our relationship is still…difficult."

Satori pouted. "He should be nicer to you." As he sat back in his seat, he made a fist with one hand and punched it against his palm. "Want me to talk to him for you?" 

"I don't see how that would help things," Ushijima said, frowning.

"Well, maybe it wouldn't," Satori acknowledged. "But punching him would make me feel better." 

"Oikawa would definitely win in a contest of strength between—"

"Fine, fine," Satori said, waving his hands. He didn't need to hear any more about the ways in which Oikawa was superior to him. "I won't punch him." 

Ushijima was quiet, watching him with a steady, searching look. Finally he exhaled softly and reached out to pick up his drink. "Thank you," he said in a low voice.

"I didn't do anything," Satori said sweetly. He kind of wanted to be sick, and he pushed away the remainder of Ushijima's fries. "Let's get out of here." 

Ushijima asked if he wanted to go back to the arcade afterward, but Satori shook his head. "Let's go back to your place," he said instead, pasting on a goofy grin. "I want to see how they're treating the future Ace of Japan."

 

—

 

They spent the evening watching movies together, and then Ushijima went to bed early to be ready for his regular practice session at six-thirty. Satori, who was unused to sleeping before two AM, lay awake in the darkness for a long time, and was bleary-eyed and slow when Ushijima woke him a few hours later.

"Satori," Ushijima murmured, kneeling over him. He placed a warm hand on Satori's shoulder. His breath smelled of toothpaste. Satori wanted to pull him down and push his face into Ushijima's chest. "I have to go, I will return in two hours."

"NowaitI'mcomin'," Satori groaned, levering himself up.

"You don't have to come," Ushijima said, trying gently to push him back down.

Satori shook him off. "I'm comin'," he mumbled, blinking dazedly. "Gimme like...two minutes."

They made it out of the dorm room in three minutes, which Satori privately felt was some kind of small miracle. He trudged along in Ushijima's shadow as they made their way across campus to the gym. 

"There is a coffee machine there," Ushijima said, pointing him toward another entrance. "You can watch from the stands if you want."

"I will," Satori said, unable to focus on anything except the thought of _coffee_. "Good. Good luck. Seeya."

He staggered off toward the coffee machines and got as many iced coffee drinks as he could carry, which with his current level of coordination was five, and made his way up into the stands. He'd brought his laptop with him, but he ended up mainlining three of the coffee drinks and then falling asleep as the team ran through their warmups, soothed by the familiarity of it. He startled awake fifteen minutes later at the sound volleyballs slamming down on the court, and sat up, caffeine buzzing through him, to watch as they started serving and receiving drills. 

Satori picked Ushijima out at once. Even in a team full of giants, he stood apart from the rest. Maybe it was the caffeine high, but Satori could have sworn he was _glowing_ as he tossed the ball up and slammed it down with terrifying power. The player behind him was another familiar face. Satori rubbed his eyes, half hoping that he was dreaming, but no. There was Oikawa Tooru, and if Ushijima had been glowing, Oikawa appeared incandescent. He moved fluidly, a miracle of precision and determination. His serve drove the second year libero to his knees, and Oikawa smirked as he landed, a flick of his hair communicating clearly that he was just getting started. 

Satori was too tired to hate him properly, but he burned with weary dislike anyway. The coffee had done its job, and he slowly sipped the other two drinks as he watched the remainder of their practice unfold. It was good just to see volleyball again, reminding him just how much he'd missed it in the past year, but most of all it was good to watch Ushijima play. It gave Satori a cast iron excuse to stare at him for an hour and a half, and he revelled in it, his hungry eyes feasting on every easy bend of limb, every bulge of shining muscles, every casual flick of sweaty hair. 

_I really need to get laid_ , Satori thought miserably, sinking down in his seat.

Practice finally began to wind down, and Ushijima raised his face to the stands and waved for Satori to join them. He made his way down, shoving his laptop back into his bag as he went, and met Ushijima at the door to the gym. 

"Come and meet my teammates," Ushijima said, holding the door wide for him. 

Satori groaned inwardly, too tired for taxing social interaction, but he pinned on a bright grin and went in to make nice. Ushijima's teammates were friendly and easy to talk to, and seemed endlessly fascinated to meet someone from Ushijima's past. Oikawa, he was relieved to see, had already left. Satori was pleased to discover that they all seemed to like Ushijima, even if they couldn't really make head or tail of him. He'd been worried about his friend fitting in at university, but it seemed as if he was managing just fine.

As people started to peel off in ones and twos, one of the older wing spikers looked back at Ushijima and waved. "Don't forget about tonight, Ushijima-kun!" 

Ushijima nodded. "Thank you, Ito-san."

"What's all that about?" Satori asked as he and Ushijima left together. "About tonight?"

"There is a party at the team's residence," Ushijima said. "I thought you wouldn't be interested in going." 

Satori's eyes widened. "A party! Why didn't you say? Who's going?"

"I—" 

"Will Oikawa-kun be there?" 

Ushijima coloured slightly. "I believe the whole team will be there," he said, glancing away. 

"Then we _have_ to go!" Satori said, a kind of manic glee taking him over. The last thing he wanted to do was spend an evening watching Ushijima moon over Oikawa, but maybe it would afford him some opportunity to put his feelings to rest. Or to humiliate Oikawa. He grinned. "Wakatoshi-kun, we're going to that party."

 

—

 

Being a first year, Ushijima had a dorm room on campus, but the older team members shared a bunkhouse a little further out. 

Satori was running on fumes by the time they arrived at the party, but he wasn't about to let that hold him back from having fun. Operating on only a few hours of sleep was something he was long accustomed to.

Ushijima was obviously uncomfortable as they stepped inside and melted into the throng of people. It wasn't overly crowded, but the team were loud and raucous, and all of them seemed to be drinking. Satori helped himself to a beer, and offered another to Ushijima, who shook his head. 

"Not drinking, Waka-waka?" Satori teased, leaning against him. 

"We are not old enough to drink alcohol," Ushijima said, eyeing the drink in Satori's hand. 

Satori grinned. "Oops." He downed half of the first beer, and wiped his mouth on his shoulder. "Come on, let's go and make some friends." 

They drifted around the party for a little bit. Satori recognised a few faces from that morning, but he was content to talk to whoever crossed his path. The two beers soon made him tipsy, which meant he was more talkative than usual, but Ushijima didn't seem to mind it. He'd always seemed happy to keep quiet and let Satori do the talking, and tonight was apparently no exception. 

Satori was chatting with one of the spikers from the women's volleyball team when he realised that Ushijima's attention was elsewhere. Following his face, it was easy to see why. He extracted himself from his conversation as quickly as he could, then sidled up to Ushijima's side. 

"Ooh, is that Oikawa-kun over there?" Satori asked, tugging on Ushijima's sleeve. "Let's go say hi."

Ushijima frowned. "I do not think—"

"Oi! Oikawa-kun!" Satori yelled, lifting an arm and waving it wildly. "Yoohoo!"

Oikawa looked round. When his eyes met Satori's they narrowed, his broad smile fading somewhat. He raised a hand and gave a brief salute, the corner of his mouth tilting up in a mocking smile. Before Satori had a chance to respond, Oikawa's companion grabbed the collar of his t-shirt, dragging him away with a furious look on his face. 

"See?" Satori said, grinning wickedly. "I think he wants us to go over."

"Satori—" Ushijima groaned, but he didn't resist when Satori gripped his arm more tightly and began to drag him through the crowd. 

Satori led them across the room to where Oikawa and his friend were having a furious, whispered discussion, both gesturing emphatically. 

"I hope we are not interrupting," Ushijima rumbled.

Oikawa straightened up, turning to them with a surprised look on his face. "Ushiwaka-chan!" he said with false brightness. "And look, you brought a friend. Do you pay him by the hour, or is it a thing where you exchange favours?"

"Watch it," Iwaizumi growled, cuffing him around the back of the head.

"Iwa-chan, ow! I was just being friendly."

"Ignore him," Iwaizumi said, pushing Oikawa aside and giving Satori and Ushijima a polite nod. "He's even more stupid than normal when he drinks."

Satori laughed. "That's quite alright. And it's the first one, but my rates are very reasonable." He grinned and ran his eyes over Iwaizumi slowly. "I'm guessing he got you at a discount."

Iwaizumi's face went slack with shock, flushing deeply, and over his shoulder Satori watched Oikawa's mouth drop open. 

"Satori," Ushijima said in his ear. "What are you doing?"

 _Don't do it_ , Satori thought to himself. It was easy to pretend that Ushijima was as clueless as he seemed, that he missed most of what happened around him, but it wasn't true. Ushijima had taken pains to get better at reading his friends and teammates, and while his social skills were blunt, he was nonetheless sharp and observant. But Satori's gaze strayed to Oikawa's face again, taking in the uncharacteristic lack of poise. He couldn't resist striking at the chink he'd managed to make in Oikawa's armour. 

"Of course," Satori continued loudly, turning his focus on Iwaizumi; he'd always been reactive, easy to needle. Satori smirked as he chose his weapon and prepared to strike. "Looks _can_ be deceiving. I'm sure you're very good at what you do." He grinned, taking a moment to revel in the humiliated silence. "I _am_ curious though. Which one of you serves, and which one receives? I bet it's not the one everyone thinks."

Ushijima was right behind him now, voice soft and dismayed. "Satori!"

"Say that again," Iwaizumi growled, taking a step toward him.

Oikawa caught his shoulder. "Iwa-chan, don't." He glanced back at Satori, his expression shifting into something cold and calculating. "Tendou-san can't help it. Leopards can't change their spots, and neither can nasty little insects."

"That's true," Satori said, wiping an imaginary tear from the corner of his eye. He looked from Oikawa to Iwaizumi, letting his gaze linger with intent. "Insects like me are stuck making the same mistakes, with the same dull people." 

Iwaizumi looked as though he was about to explode, his face scarlet and his teeth bared like an angry dog. Oikawa was blushing too, but he was otherwise painstakingly composed, his face a cold mask. 

"Ushiwaka-chan," Oikawa said, his tone clipped and unsteady. His cold gaze slid from Satori to Ushijima. His hand was still on his friend's shoulder, his fingers digging in so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. "As nice as it is that you finally showed up to a team social, maybe you should think twice about who you bring with you next time."

Satori snorted, but before he could even think of responding, Ushijima's hand closed over his shoulder. 

"Yes," Ushijima said, sounding pained. "I think we will go."

"Good," Oikawa spat, before giving Iwaizumi a sharp tug, leading him away in the direction of the kitchen. Iwaizumi glared at them over his shoulder, his heavy eyebrows creased. 

"Ooh," Satori said under his breath, unable to help himself. "He's _definitely_ the one receiving from Oikawa-kun—"

Oikawa turned suddenly, his face pale with rage, and charged toward Satori. Oikawa bearing down on him was somehow far more intimidating than Iwaizumi, and Satori froze as some primal, animal instinct paralysed him on the spot. Iwaizumi was yelling and trying to pull Oikawa away, but he was advancing regardless. A space was clearing around them as people finally noticed the drama unfolding. 

"I'm going to make you sorry," Oikawa hissed, struggling against Iwaizumi's hold. 

As he reached for Satori, Ushijima stepped neatly between them, putting a hand on Oikawa's chest to hold him back. 

Oikawa shrieked in outrage. "Get out of my _way_ , Ushiwaka!" he yelled, smacking his hand away. 

"This is not the right place for this, Oikawa."

Oikawa tore his vicious gaze from Satori, focusing it on Ushijima instead. "Maybe you should've thought of that before dragging your trash in here," he snarled. 

Ushijima was calm. "I know. It won't happen again."

They held each other's gaze for a moment longer, then Oikawa looked down, seemingly just realising that Ushijima's hand was still on his chest. He pushed it away angrily, and cast one last, brief, scathing look in Satori's direction. Any desire Satori might have had to keep prodding at him withered away; he was absolutely certain that he was going to get punched the next time he tried.

"Oikawa, come on," Iwaizumi said, pulling on his shoulder. 

Oikawa turned, and the two of them disappeared into the crowd. 

"So," Satori said into the silence, taking in the shocked faces of the partygoers around them. "That went pretty well I think."

"Satori," Ushijima said, his voice cold. 

Satori heaved a sigh. "Yes, yes. It's time for me to get told off, isn't it?" he asked, turning slowly to face his doom. He raised a hand, palm face down. "Slap on the wrist?"

Ushijima's brow creased into a deep frown. "I think we should leave."

"Oh!" Satori said, brightening. "What a shame, are you _sure_ you wouldn't rather stay here?"

"No," Ushijima said, and turned to march toward the exit. 

Satori followed, and bent to retrieve his shoes from the messy tangle of footwear by the front door. He sighed as he straightened up, already calculating how angry Ushijima would be, how best to pacify him, how—

"You go ahead," Ushijima said, reaching out to open the door. 

Satori glanced across at him. "O—kay? What about you?"

Ushijima's frown deepened. "I am going to apologise to Oikawa and Iwaizumi-san."

"Wait," Satori said, catching his sleeve. "Let me come too."

"That's not a good idea," Ushijima said, shaking his head. "I will meet you outside in a few minutes."

Satori grimaced. "Alright." He picked up his feet and stepped out into the street. As soon as the cold air hit him, Satori was flooded with regret and self-loathing. He took a few steps into the darkness until he reached a pool of light under a streetlamp, where he stopped and kicked at the pavement. He remembered being eight, and his teacher chastising him for being mean to the other children. He remembered the crushing unfairness of it, and how it hadn't mattered that those other children had started it, or that they'd pushed him over in the playground every day for a week before he ever got up the courage to say something nasty to them. 

This wasn't the same thing. Satori knew that, but he also felt sick when he thought about the way Ushijima looked at Oikawa. The way he always jumped to Oikawa's defense, even though he didn't deserve it. Satori bit his tongue as his eyes started to burn. If Ushijima stopped speaking to him over this, it would be his own fault, but he wanted Oikawa to be responsible. Satori knew that if he had the chance to hold Ushijima's heart, he would be careful with it, the way Oikawa had never been. 

The front door to the building opened, spilling out music and laughter, and then closed again. Satori didn't turn around, but Ushijima joined him moments later, his arm brushing against Satori's for a brief moment.

"Let's go home," he said quietly. 

Satori frowned as he moved to follow. "Did you find them?"

"Yes."

"Well...did they accept your apology?"

Ushijima sighed. "I don't wish to discuss it."

Satori pulled up short. "Oh," he said, biting his bottom lip thoughtfully. "Okay." He hurried to catch up, and the two of them continued in silence. 

Silence with Ushijima was not unfamiliar, but Satori was used to filling the quiet with his own nonsense, asking ridiculous questions, or telling Ushijima the endless intricacies of some absurd manga he'd read. When they were quiet together, it was a comfortable silence borne of long familiarity. This was nothing like that silence. Ushijima was angry and upset; it was clear from the set of his shoulders, the slope of his mouth, the heavy line of his brow. Satori was usually good at cheering up his friends, happy to play the clown, but it was different when he was the cause of the upset. 

They reached Ushijima's apartment, still not having exchanged a word. Ushijima went in first, holding the door open for him.

"Thanks," Satori muttered.

Ushijima nodded.

"Hey, uh—you thirsty? I could make some tea."

"No, thank you."

Satori swallowed heavily. "Do you want me to go? It's not that late, I can probably get a train."

Ushijima shook his head. "No."

"I don't mind," Satori said. "If you don't wanna be around me, I could—"

"Stop," Ushijima said, closing his eyes. He leaned over the kitchen counter, resting his hands against it. "Just stop."

Satori froze. He didn't have a map for this. Instinct told him to cut and run. It wouldn't be the first time he'd ditched a friendship after poisoning the well himself. People were generally better off without him, it had just taken Ushijima longer to see that than most. 

"Why did you do that?" Ushijima asked softly

Satori's breath was tight in his chest. He gripped the sleeves of his hoodie where they hung over his fingers. "Wakatoshi—" he began, trying for a jovial tone. 

Ushijima frowned at him, and Satori's shoulders slumped. 

"I don't know," he muttered, looking down at the floor.

"I know you disapprove of my regard for Oikawa—" 

Satori gritted his teeth. "He doesn't deserve you," he growled.

Ushijima's eyes widened slightly. "That doesn't matter," he said eventually, lowering his gaze. "His behaviour has no bearing on my feelings."

"How can it not?" Satori demanded. "How—" he said, voice cracking. "How can you let him treat you the way he does, and still—"

"He and I are friends," Ushijima said, frowning. "I don't expect him to return my feelings." He hesitated, his frown turning to a grimace. "I—had not realised that he and Iwaizumi-san were involved. But, even were they not, I have no expectations of him."

Satori grimaced. "I don't know if they're really screwing," he muttered, shrugging. "It was a shot in the dark, to be honest. I just wanted to get under his skin."

"I would say were successful," Ushijima said coldly. "But I am asking you, for my sake, please bury your grudge."

Satori's jaw was starting to hurt from clenching his teeth so tightly. The knowledge that Ushijima didn't intend to pursue Oikawa did nothing to assuage his hurt pride. Ushijima was still out of reach, still pining for something he couldn't, shouldn't have. 

_Just like me_ , Satori thought, his eyes burning.

"I'm sorry, Wakatoshi," he murmured. 

Ushijima sighed softly. "Thank you, Satori." He reached out, putting a heavy hand on Satori's shoulder. His thumb dug into the muscle, warm and comforting. "I appreciate you standing up for me, even if I do not approve of the method."

"Yeah," Satori muttered, glancing away. "I guess it's kinda late. We should sleep."

"Very well," Ushijima said, nodding.

They both changed and got into bed, but Satori felt worlds away from sleep. He lay, staring up at the ceiling, and listening to the soft sound of Ushijima's rhythmic breathing. 

He made sure he was gone before Ushijima woke.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: this fic will only be two chapters!  
> narrator: the fic would not only be two chapters

In the summer, Satori and Semi took a road trip South. Semi's family had a beach house they never used, and Semi's older sister had agreed to let him use her car. 

"Just let me drive for a little bit, please?" Satori wheedled, after several hours on the road. "You must be getting tired by now."

"I'll let you drive," Semi said amiably. "As soon as you tell me why you're avoiding Wakatoshi." 

Satori grinned at him. "Why would I be avoiding him, Eita-kun?" 

Semi shrugged. "You tell me. When's the last time you saw him?"

"We have busy lives," Satori said, flapping his hand dismissively. "He's off saving the world with Oikawa-kun, one service ace at a time—"

"Aha," Semi said, smirking over at him. "I knew this was about Oikawa."

Satori grimaced and turned to look out of the window. "Have you heard from Kenjirou?"

Semi sighed, but rather than press, he dutifully answered Satori's question, steering the conversation away to their kouhai instead. Shirabu and Kawanishi had both started university in Tokyo, but Satori hadn't taken the time to see either of them yet. Maybe he would make the effort next year, for Goshiki. But maybe they were _all_ better off if he faded out of their lives. 

He managed to avoid the subject for the rest of the day, but when evening rolled around and Semi broke out his parents' liquor stash, it was only a matter of time. 

"And then as soon as you heard Wakatoshi was coming to watch the game with us, you bailed—" Semi complained. He'd been listing supposed evidence of Satori's avoidance for several minutes already. Some of it was wrong, but most of it hit home. 

"You make it sound like my whole life revolves around him," Satori grumbled, the remnants of his good mood flaking away. "I do have other friends." He fluttered his eyelashes at Semi. "I can be very charming."

"Don't I know it," Semi said, snorting. "So, what, you just don't wanna be his friend anymore?"

Satori lowered his eyes. The ice in his drink had turned into a puddle, diluting what was left of the alcohol. He sipped it, and pulled a face. "He just. He doesn't need me. We were school friends, that's it."

Semi groaned, and lurched over toward him. His breath was heavy with rum, his eyes hazy and his cheeks flushed. Semi was normally so put together, the sight of him so undone made something shiver in Satori's chest. 

"Satori," Semi drawled, putting both hands on his shoulders. "You two were _best_ friends."

Satori cast his gaze aside. "Yeah. _Were_."

"Dude, come _on_ ," Semi said, giving him a little shake. "Wakatoshi—he thinks the world of you, you know he does."

Satori snorted. "Right, and we know he's got flawless taste."

Semi was quiet for several moments. "You know, him and Oikawa really are just friends. I don't think Wakatoshi even—"

"Don't," Satori muttered.

"Seriously, I'm pretty sure he's over Oikawa."

Satori put his head in his hands. Whether Ushijima liked Oikawa or not was irrelevant; Satori had sealed his own fate with his behaviour back in January. "It's not about him," he said quietly. "Or—it is, but not the way you think."

"Then tell me," Semi said, dropping his hands to Satori's knees. He looked up at him, his brown eyes wide, hair falling across his forehead. He smiled and squeezed Satori's knees. "Come on, it's good to talk about stuff."

"Eita-kun," Satori murmured, grimacing. 

Semi laughed, leaning closer. "Come on!"

"It's not—it doesn't matter who he likes," Satori said, frustration bubbling out of him. "I was such a dick, he shouldn't ever want to talk to me again."

"Well...isn't that kinda his decision?" Semi asked, nose wrinkling. 

Satori shook his head. "You don't get it. I don't _deserve_ him being my friend, I'm just—I'm a piece of shit, and he's always been too good for me."

Semi huffed. His boozy breath was sweet as it caught on Satori's cheek. "Satori—"

"It's better," Satori insisted. "He's better without me."

Sighing, Semi shook his head. "You're an idiot."

"Am not."

"Are too."

Satori smirked. "Am not."

"You are!" Semi said, laughing. The corner of his eyes crinkled beautifully. As he laughed, a lock of hair fell across his eyes. 

After a moment's hesitation, Satori reached out and brushed it aside. Semi looked up at him again, eyes widening. He was so pretty, with his cheeks flushed, his mouth pink, bottom lip plush and damp as he parted his mouth to speak. Satori leaned in. He threaded his fingers through Semi's hair as their lips came together softly.

Semi gasped, his breath cool against Satori's mouth, and then he breathed out hotly and kissed him back. With just a clench of his fingers, a nudge of his knee, Satori coaxed Semi into his lap where he could hold onto his slim waist and kiss him more deeply. Semi was much more drunk than he was. He was unself-conscious, moaning as Satori tipped his head and stroked their tongues together. His thighs were hot either side of Satori's hips, and he moved against him slowly as they kissed. 

"You're good," Semi murmured in surprise, breaking from him for mere moments, then tilting his head back with a loud groan when Satori applied his mouth to Semi's neck. "Hnn—god, yeah—" 

Drunk, loose with pleasure, Semi let himself be tipped back onto the couch. He lifted his hips when Satori unfastened his shorts, and he cried out beautifully when Satori applied himself to Semi's long, slender cock. Satori closed the eyes as the velvety head bumped the back of his throat. He held Semi's hips more tightly, swallowing the thin, salty taste of him. He closed his eyes. He didn't let himself think about anyone else.

 

—

 

Semi couldn't meet his eyes the next morning. Haltingly, he apologised for his behaviour and asked Satori to forget about what had happened. "It's not you," Semi muttered, flushing. "I just—I don't like guys like that." 

Satori laughed off the awkwardness, prodded Semi until he smiled through his hangover and embarrassment. They went home a day early. They didn't speak again for months. 

 

—

 

Satori was halfway through his second year of university before he saw Ushijima again. He and Semi were on speaking terms again, sort of, but their old camaraderie had disintegrated. Satori told himself that it was inevitable, and forced himself to forget about it.

He was at the family-run cafe near his apartment two weeks before Christmas, trying to work on an essay while his girlfriend went through some overdue administrative work for the anime society they were both members of. When Hideko got up to buy herself another drink, Satori checked his phone, and was surprised to see that Ushijima had texted him. 

_Hello, Satori._   
_I will be in Tokyo next weekend for a tournament._   
_May I come and stay with you?_

Satori stared at the messages, uncomprehending at first. It was months since they'd spoken, and Satori realised with mounting guilt that he hadn't even responded the last three times Ushijima reached out to him. He only hesitated for a moment before replying, torn between the urge to press on without looking back, and his desire to see Ushijima again. 

_Wakatoshi-kuuuun!_ , he wrote back, the guilt only doubling as he formed the messages, making no apology for his long silence. _Of course you can stay! I'll send you my new address~_

_Thank you._

Satori bit his lip. He only had one futon, and his place wasn't big enough to hold a couch. He could maybe buy an extra futon, but he was short on cash that month. 

He wrote back, _Just one catch - I only have one bed. You mind snuggling?_

He held his breath as Ushijima wrote a response. 

_I look forward to it._

Satori stared at his phone. "What does _that_ mean?" he asked it uselessly. 

"What was that?" Hideko asked as she rejoined him at the table. 

Satori blinked at her. "Huh?"

"Bad news?" she asked, arching one eyebrow at him. "You've got that weird, constipated look on your face."

He grinned. "Nah, not bad news," he said, reaching to grab her latte and steal a sip. "Unexpected news."

"Oi!" she complained, aiming a kick at his shin and snatching back her drink. "Are you gonna keep me in suspense all day? What kind of news?"

"Oh," Satori said, forcing a smile. "You remember my friend, Ushijima? The one who plays volleyball."

Hideko gave him a withering look. "They all play volleyball." 

Satori laughed. "Not like this one."

"Ohh." Hideko's expression cleared. " _That_ Ushijima, got it. Captain Japan."

"Yeah. He's coming to visit next week. That's cool, right? I already told him it was cool."

Hideko shrugged. "Doesn't bother me. I'm going to visit my sister and the baby anyway."

"Perfect!" Satori said, with more enthusiasm than he felt. He pulled her closer and pressed a noisy kiss to her cheek. "Love you."

"Yeah, yeah," she said, grinning as she waved him off. "Just don't get too rowdy. I'm not scraping you up again if you're too hungover."

Satori snorted. "Wakatoshi getting drunk? Now _that_ is something I'd pay to see."

 

—

 

As the day approached for Ushijima's arrival, Satori began to feel sick with nerves. It was almost a year since they'd seen each other, and months since the disaster with Semi. Satori had gotten used to leaving a trail of discarded friendships in his wake. Dredging them up again wasn't in his nature, but he told himself that this time would be different. He was happier now. He had friends. Hideko too, was a breath of fresh air after a disastrous string of dead-end flings with friends of friends, and unsavoury one night stands. He shouldn't be ashamed for Ushijima to see him as he was now. 

Satori made an excuse to miss the tournament itself; as much as he wanted to see Ushijima play again, he couldn't face the thought of watching Ushijima and Oikawa together, their animosity finally buried in favour of working to become one of the strongest setter-spiker duos on the university circuit.

Ushijima called him as soon as the tournament ended.

"Wakatoshi!" Satori cheered, pulling up some enthusiasm from a deep well inside him. "Did you win?"

"Yes," Ushijima said simply. "My teammates are going to a bar. Would you like to come?" 

Satori laughed uncomfortably. "I dunno if that's a good idea, I made a pretty bad impression the last time."

"Please," Ushijima said softly. "They would like to meet you."

"Ah, well—"

"Oikawa will not be there."

Satori swallowed. "Oh?"

"He is visiting a friend."

"Gotcha."

"Will you come?"

Satori closed his eyes. "Sure," he said, forcing jollity into his voice. "I'd love to."

 

—

 

Ushijima's teammates were as friendly as he remembered, and several of them recalled Satori from their brief meeting back in January. None of them seemed to be aware of the incident with Oikawa at the party, and if they were, they kept quiet about it. Several of the older players bought drinks for him and Ushijima, and Satori was surprised to see Ushijima partake of several beers as they sat and laughed along with the raucous group. It was hot and cramped in the bar, and their party was too big for the table they'd chosen, meaning that Satori was squashed in tightly between Ushijima on his left, and the team's libero on the other side—a rowdy third year prone to bouts of infectious laughter. 

Satori's feelings for his friend no longer burned him the way they had when they were at school together; the long months of separation had finally worn away the sharp edges. But sitting there, their thighs pressed tightly together, and Ushijima's rich warmth bleeding into him, Satori could feel the flare of his feelings like the heat of a fire, suffusing him slowly.

When the rest of the team finally tired of grilling Satori and Ushijima, or making good-natured jokes at their expense, Ushijima turned to Satori with a warm look on his face. 

"Thank you for joining us," he rumbled.

Satori grinned. "Thanks for inviting me," he said, surprised by how much he meant it. He'd forgotten how much _fun_ it was being surrounded by volleyball. He was in several clubs at university, and his classmates on his illustration course were a source of endless fascination and fun, but there was a simple pleasure to be found in drinking and laughing with a group of athletes. 

"I was worried you would not want to come," Ushijima said, frowning.

"Ah, yeah," Satori muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I made kind of an ass of myself last time, huh?"

Ushijima shook his head. "That's not what I meant."

"Oh no?"

"I thought I had done something to upset you," Ushijima went on. "You've been distant."

Satori gave his beer a grim smile. "I guess I have," he said. "Just—you know. Busy and stuff."

"You are not angry with me?"

Genuinely surprised, Satori laughed loudly. "Angry with you? Why would I be angry with you?"

Ushijima looked down at his own drink. A tiny corner of the label on his beer had lifted away from the glass, and he ran his thumb back and forth over the little flap of paper. "I thought you might think—" He paused, and grimaced. "That I chose Oikawa over you. His friendship over yours." He looked at Satori, his eyes wide and guileless. "That's not the case. You are very dear to me."

Satori glanced away, and coughed to cover a sudden rush of feeling that clenched his throat tight. "Well...thanks, Wakatoshi-kun," he said thinly. The corner of his mouth tilted. "Same to you."

Ushijima nodded. "I'm glad."

"And—hey, I'm sorry. For not being around, and stuff."

"I understand," Ushijima said. He sighed softly. "Everything seems to go much faster now." 

"That's true," Satori said, wincing. "It seems like just a couple of months since we were all still at Shiratorizawa."

"Yes," Ushijima said. "But at the same time, it feels like a long time has passed."

Satori sighed. "Yeah, it does."

"Listen to you two!" said one of Ushijima's teammates, leaning across him. "You sound like old men!" he yelled, prompting several of their companions to laughter. "Come on, you need more beer—"

Ushijima protested mildly, but he and Satori soon found themselves being pressured into downing their drinks and another placed in front of them. 

"We can leave if you wish," Ushijima said quietly, leaning closer to speak against his ear. 

Satori shivered. "No," he muttered. He turned and grinned at his friend. "Unless you want to."

Ushijima shook his head. "I am perfectly content being here with you."

"Oh," Satori said, basking in the warmth of Ushijima's rare smile. His stomach turned over on itself. "That's great." He laughed. "That's really great."

Gradually the party began to dissolve, and finally most of the team stood up to leave. Ushijima and Satori joined them, letting themselves be carried along with the heat and laughter of the party as they all took their leave. Finally they were alone on the pavement outside, the cold wind biting. Satori huddled closer to his friend. 

"Are you alright?" Ushijima asked.

Satori nodded. "Cold," he hissed, tucking his hands into his armpits. 

Ushijima frowned. "Do you not own a coat?"

"Not...technically," Satori said, wincing. "Besides, I'm usually fine in just a hoodie."

"Mm," Ushijima hummed, sounding unimpressed. 

Satori glanced around, judging the distance to the nearest train stations. "We could walk that way and catch the bus," he mused. "Or it's a slightly longer walk the other direction to the train, but that's faster when we get there—" He broke off when Ushijima stepped up behind him and draped his coat over Satori's shoulders. Satori glanced down at it, then over at Ushijima. "What's this for?"

"You said you were cold," Ushijima said, watching him steadily. "I believe you feel the cold more than I do, therefore it makes sense for you to wear the coat."

"But it's _your_ coat," Satori said stupidly, staring at him. 

Ushijima frowned. "The bus."

Satori blinked. "The bus?"

"That way you won't have to spend so long outside."

"Oh." Satori gave him a sheepish smile. "I'm sort of used to it, you know. Thanks, though."

Ushijima nodded. "Let's go back."

They started to walk toward the nearest bus stop. Ushijima was as stoic as ever, apparently unconcerned by the cold. He walked close to Satori, swaying slightly every few steps.

"You're kind of a lightweight, huh?" Satori asked, grinning at him. 

Ushijima nodded solemnly. 

"Do your teammates get you drunk a lot?"

Ushijima shook his head. "Not often. Our coaches are fairly strict. Oikawa and Iwaizumi took me drinking on my birthday."

Satori's face fell, his heart clenching sharply. He was pretty sure he'd remembered to wish Ushijima a happy birthday, but he'd ignored his friend's attempts to invite him for a visit. He was torn between guilt and indignation at being replaced. Deep down, he knew that he deserved it. "That was nice of them."

"We have become friends," Ushijima said slowly. "We have…forgiven each other."

Satori let out a derisive snort. "What do they have to forgive _you_ for?"

"For my inconsiderate behaviour," Ushijima said, answering the rhetorical question. A brief silence passed between them, and Ushijima swayed a little closer again. "Are you warm enough?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Satori said, burying his hands deep in Ushijima's pockets. The coat smelled of him strongly, and Satori comforted himself by pressing his face into the collar and breathing in deeply. When he raised his head again, he realised Ushijima was looking at him, and he grinned. "Who're you wearing, Wakatoshi-kun?" he teased. 

Ushijima blinked at him. "What do you mean?"

"What's your signature scent?" Satori pressed, lowering his face again for an exaggerated huff. "I'm picking up—mm, pine? A hint of spice? Very manly."

"You're teasing me," Ushijima said, ducking his head, a half smile playing around his lips. 

Satori laughed. "That's how you know I like you."

Ushijima's smile widened. It was hard to tell in the streetlight, but Satori thought he might have been blushing. 

_Careful,_ Satori thought. Teasing and prodding Ushijima had been one of his favourite pastimes while they were at school, eager to see what kind of a reaction he could elicit. Back then, he would have given his right arm to have Ushijima blush and smile, and look at him the way he had tonight. But that was then, and they were different people now. Satori was uncomfortably aware of the phone in his pocket, the unread messages from Hideko.

"Hey, so, that's the bus stop up there," he said, giving himself a little shake. 

"Oh, good." 

In the harsh, pale lighting of the bus interior, it was easier to see the lingering flush on Ushijima's cheeks from the alcohol, and Satori's teasing. The bus was almost empty, but they sat side by side regardless. They weren't quite as close together as they had been at the bar, but their arms and legs were pressed together, and Satori snuggled closer under the guise of pinching Ushijima's body heat. Ushijima, who had been quiet since they reached the bus stop, reached out after a moment and brushed the back of his hand against Satori's. 

Satori's heart pounded again. He was really walking the line, and he knew it, but he couldn't resist. He told himself that it must have been an accident. Holding his breath, he tilted his hand, and brushed his fingers against Ushijima's again, expecting him to move his hands away. But Ushijima instead turned his hand and put it over Satori's, curling their fingers together. Satori swallowed thickly. It felt as though he couldn't breathe properly. Ushijima was looking out of the window, apparently unaware that he'd caused Satori to have a minor coronary. 

Satori didn't pull his hand away, and they held onto each other gently until they reached their stop, at which point Satori jumped up, shoving his hands back in the pockets of Ushijima's coat. His stomach was full of butterflies. He wanted it to be real so badly, and yet the timing couldn't have been worse. Would it count as cheating if he tried to kiss Ushijima? Would Hideko mind? Would it be better if she never knew? 

"Are you hungry?" he asked as they stepped off the bus. They'd eaten at the bar, but Satori knew from experience that he had less appetite than most of his friends. "There's a place nearby, if you are."

Ushijima shook his head. "No. Are you?" 

Satori smiled crookedly. "Nope. Just stalling." 

"Why?"

"Who knows," Satori said, shrugging. He laughed under his breath. "Come on, my place isn't far." 

Satori had almost entirely sobered up by the time they reached his place, but Ushijima was still a little slow and clumsy. He propped his arm against the wall, struggling to take off his shoes. Satori laughed and bent down to help him.

"Looks like someone needs to get some rest," Satori teased, finally easing off Ushijima's second shoe and standing up to support his weight. "Lucky for you I already set up my futon."

"I will sleep on the floor," Ushijima rumbled. 

Satori grinned. "Don't be silly, Wakatoshi. I know that's your last game for a while, but sleeping on the cold floor won't do you any good."

Ushijima started to protest again, but quickly lost his train of thought, trailing off with a charmingly bewildered look on his face. He was watching Satori, his eyes shining with intent. 

Satori's heart clenched in his chest. His stomach was turning somersaults. "What is it?" he whispered. 

"Satori," Ushijima murmured, leaning closer to him. "I want to kiss you."

Satori's stomach scrambled against his ribs. "Alright," he said, before he could process what he was saying. "Yes. I mean—yeah. Yes. Please."

Ushijima smiled, then licked his bottom lip briefly. "I'm not very experienced, but—"

"I am," Satori said quickly. His ears heated. "I mean—" He broke off, laughing softly. "Sorry. I really want to kiss you."

Ushijima's cheeks were pink. "Then please do," he murmured. 

"Yeah," Satori breathed softly. He put his shaking hands on Ushijima's shoulders, then slid them up to cup his face.

"You're trembling," Ushijima whispered.

Satori nodded. "I'm nervous."

Ushijima huffed out gently, smiling. "Me too."

"Okay," Satori said, taking a deep breath. "Close your eyes."

Ever obliging, Ushijima closed his eyes, and Satori allowed himself a moment to look at him. His heart was rabbiting in his chest, unable to quite believe that he had this chance. Slowly, he let his eyes slip closed and leaned in, nudging his mouth against Ushijima's. They kissed slowly, shy and uncertain at first. After a few moments Ushijima let out a shaky breath against his cheek, and Satori smiled and held him tighter.

"Satori," Ushijima sighed, putting his hands on Satori's hips. He wrapped them around his waist and kissed him again more firmly, tongue pressing insistently against Satori's lower lip. 

Satori kissed him back with equal fervour, running his fingers through Ushijima's hair as things turned sloppy, rushed. He was dizzy with the thrill of his tongue in Ushijima's mouth, and with the rush of Ushijima pulling Satori against him, his solid body and his big, warm hands. Satori was still wearing the borrowed coat; first Ushijima's hands were inside it, tugging at his hoodie, and then he was pushing it off, dropping it to the floor, spreading his fingers on Satori's back. 

"Wakatoshi," Satori gasped, breaking the kiss. 

Ushijima kissed his neck instead, hungry and eager. "Satori," he sighed, his low voice almost a growl. "I've missed you." 

Satori laughed softly. "You missed me, so you're kissing me?" 

"Mm," Ushijima hummed in agreement, turning his head to kiss Satori's jaw. "You were flirting with me." 

"I'm always flirting with you," Satori said, giggling at the ticklish attentions. "I'm surprised you noticed." 

Ushijima paused and drew back slightly. "Should I…not kiss you?"

"No," Satori murmured, letting his voice drop low. He curled his fingers around the back of Ushijima's neck, pulling him close. "You should definitely keep kissing me."

They made their way clumsily across the room, and Satori dragged Ushijima down onto the futon with him. He could scarely bear to part from him long enough to draw breath, and when he did he was overwhelmed by the familiar scent of Ushijima's skin, the deodorant he'd been using for years, the faint hint of alcohol on his breath. Ushijima pressed his knee between Satori's thighs, and kissed him deeply, with more enthusiasm than finesse. Satori didn't care. He'd dreamed of this so many times, he wanted to burn every second of it into his memory. 

Satori ran his hands up Ushijima's back, feeling the shift of his muscles as he held himself above Satori, then Satori slid his hands down again, reaching Ushijima's hips before continuing, putting both hands inside the blue-striped uniform pants he still wore. His ass was taut under Satori's hands, firm and muscular; Satori grabbed it and pulled their hips together, grinding up against him.

"Ah - Satori," Ushijima moaned, dropping his head against Satori's shoulder. His cock was stiff against Satori's thigh, and Satori had the sudden, overpowering urge to get his mouth on it. He rolled his hips up, grinding against Ushijima's taut stomach. Ushijima moaned against, the sound reverberating against Satori's throat, low and heady. 

Satori's heart was in his throat. He didn't even know if Ushijima had kissed anyone before, let alone this. He would be willing to bet it was Ushijima's first time, but he couldn't seem to bring himself to slow things down. "Can I touch you?" he asked, voice wavering.

"Touch me how?" Ushijima murmured. 

Grimacing, Satori closed his eyes for a moment. This wasn't how Ushijima's first time ought to be, drunk and rushed. He slid his hands out of Ushijima's sweatpants, let his arms fall out to the sides. "Maybe we should stop."

Ushijima lifted his head. "You said you wanted to touch me."

Satori's face burned. "I do, but—you're drunk, and your first time should be better—"

"It is not my first time."

"Oh."

"It is the second."

Satori groaned, and covered his face, laughing softly. "Okay."

"If I were sober, I would not have had the courage to kiss you," Ushijima said quietly. "But I would still have wanted to."

From behind the safety of his hands, Satori groaned again. He thought of how completely he'd fucked things up with Semi, and how it would feel to see Hideko on Monday with the knowledge of what he'd done behind her back. 

"Satori," Ushijima murmured. "Do you want to stop?"

He knew he should, but he ached at the thought of turning it away now that it was in his grasp. "No," Satori admitted, moving his hands away. He looked up at Ushijima. "I've wanted to kiss you for a long time."

Ushijima's expression softened, the worried crease smoothing out of his brow. 

"But," Satori said. Every instinct screamed at him to shut up. He pushed on. "I have a girlfriend."

It took several moments for Ushijima to parse his meaning. Satori saw it happen, saw the gentle openness on his face darken and turn to confusion and hurt.

"You…have a girlfriend."

"Yeah." 

"I see." 

Satori pushed himself up as Ushijima withdrew. "Wakatoshi, I'm sorry, I just—" He stopped, trailing off. He had no defence to offer, no excuse. He'd just done whatever he wanted without thinking of the consequences. Again. 

"Why did you kiss me?"

He winced. "Like I said," he muttered. "I've wanted to—" 

"Then why—" Ushijima began, cutting himself off again sharply. He pushed himself back onto his heels, resting his hands on his knees. His fingers clenched, and then with apparent effort, unclenched again. When he spoke again, there was a faint shudder in his voice. "You led me to believe you were interested in me."

Satori's chest was tearing itself in two. "Wakatoshi," he murmured, his throat tight.

Ushijima's tongue darted out to wet his bottom lip. His hands clenched into fists again. For someone normally so still, he might as well have been screaming. "I should go."

"No," Satori said, voice cracking. "Wakatoshi, please, let me explain."

"It would not be right for me to stay," Ushijima murmured, his frown deepening.

Satori grimaced. "Not—for that, just—look, me and Hideko, we're not that serious, and I—"

"That doesn't matter," Ushijima said, cutting across him. "It is wrong." 

"I know, I know," Satori said, shaking his head. "I was just—I want to make you understand." He moved to kneel in front of his friend, mirroring his pose, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Wakatoshi, I'm—not good at being serious, but I've liked you for a really long time. Since school, I guess. I don't really know when, but—"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Satori opened his eyes, blinking in surprise. Ushijima sounded angry, and wore a heavy crease between his eyebrows. His fingers were clenched against his thighs, turning the sides of his palms white. "I—I thought you liked someone else?"

Ushijima's frown deepened. He swallowed, apparently gathering his words. "How can you say you liked me?" he asked, voice low. "You never told me, I didn't—there was no opportunity for me to return your feelings."

"What d'you mean?" Satori asked, heart beating faster. His hands were sweating, and he wiped them off subtly on his jeans.

"I thought I had feelings for Oikawa," Ushijima said, lowering his gaze. "But really, it was just—selfish. An obsession. You can't truly have feelings for someone without their knowledge. You like an idealised version of them, a dream that they could never live up to."

Satori hung his head. He felt sick. "That's enough, Wakatoshi-kun," he whispered.

Ushijima cleared his throat. "I apologise. That was…blunt. I didn't mean—" 

"It's fine, Wakatoshi-kun," Satori muttered. "I know I'm selfish." 

"Satori—" 

Satori laughed. "It's true!" he said. He felt wild. There was a buzzing under his skin like he'd been awake for three days straight.

Ushijima frowned, but he seemed to realise that there was no use him denying it. Whether he believed it or not, he'd said it. 

"I should go," he said again.

Satori didn't try to stop him this time. He watched as Ushijima stood and picked up his coat. "Where are you gonna go?" he murmured. "It's probably too late to catch a train back."

Ushijima shook his head. "I will be fine."

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine."

Satori laughed again, a faint strain of desperation in his voice. "Let me walk you to the station at least."

"No," Ushijima said, the finality in his voice sitting on Satori's shoulders like a lead weight. "I need some time to think."

"Oh," Satori murmured. "Oh?"

"Yes."

Satori winced, and pushed himself to his feet. "I'm sorry." He laughed under his breath. "I keep disappointing you."

Ushijima stood up from fastening his shoes. "I am disappointed," he said quietly. "But not for the reason you think."

"Let me know where you end up?" Satori asked as Ushijima picked up his bag. "Just—so I know you're safe."

Ushijima nodded. "Very well." He stepped toward the door, then bowed stiffly. "Thank you for inviting me to stay with you."

Satori didn't bother to point out that Ushijima had invited himself, or that there was no use thanking him if he hadn't ended up staying. He just smiled faintly, and watched as Ushijima left, closing the door between them with a soft, dull sound. Satori wished he'd slammed it. He wished Ushijima had left angry, hating him, instead of this. He felt sick remembering the sadness in Ushijima's eyes as he called Satori selfish. Obsessed. 

Satori went to the bathroom and stuck his fingers down his throat, holding them there until he finally retched hard enough to bring up the alcohol, then the thin remnants of the food he'd eaten. He spent a long time curled around the toilet bowl, staring up at the pattern on his shower curtain. Eventually, Ushijima texted him to say that he was staying with a friend. Satori didn't bother to reply. He crawled into bed as the sun began to rise, and lay there, staring out of the window at the sky changing colours.

 

—

 

Satori went home for New Year, but made a concerted effort not to see any of his old friends. He stayed at home, helping his mother clean out the apartment. He insisted on being given endless tasks to do around the house, or in the kitchen. His mother joked that he must have come down with something, or that maybe he'd been replaced by an alien since moving to Tokyo. He laughed, and humoured her, and changed the subject every time she asked him why he wasn't seeing his friends. 

He and Ushijima hadn't spoken since the night they kissed, and Satori couldn't stop thinking about what he'd said. Every time he was still, Satori remembered his words: selfish, obsessed, just a dream. His mind fixated on them. He filled every waking moment with music, podcasts, white noise in his headphones to try and drown them out. He barely slept, because when he got into bed all he could think about was what Ushijima had said to him. Thoughts circling endlessly until he finally passed out in the small hours of the morning. 

The morning after New Year, Satori was cycling back from buying groceries when he spotted a familiar face. Oikawa was jogging with his headphones in, and didn't seem to have noticed Satori on the other side of the street. Without really thinking, Satori turned his bike to follow, and trailed Oikawa back to a small, modern house at the other side of town to his mother's apartment. He pulled up short as Oikawa stopped and started to stretch outside the house. He didn't want to get caught spying, but he waited long enough to see Oikawa go inside before turning around and riding home again. 

Later that day, restless and confused, Satori cycled across town again to Oikawa's house and knocked on the door. He wasn't completely sure why he'd come, only that he knew Ushijima was disappointed in him, and that making amends with Oikawa was some small step toward making amends with Ushijima. 

To Satori's surprise, it wasn't Oikawa _or_ Iwaizumi who opened the door, but a young boy, maybe ten or eleven. By his green eyes and spiky black hair, he could only be one of Iwaizumi's relatives—a younger brother most likely, maybe a cousin or nephew. He blinked up at Satori, his friendly smile marred by the loss of a few milk teeth. 

"Who're you?" he asked.

"Tendou," said Satori. "Is, uh—is Oikawa Tooru here?"

The boy's eyes widened. "How did you know?"

"Chiaki!" called a familiar voice from the other room, and then Iwaizumi appeared in the doorway. "Who's—oh." His expression darkened. "It's you."

"He said he came to see Tooru," Chiaki said, leaning back against Iwaizumi and looking up at him.

Iwaizumi ruffled the boy's hair. "Better go fetch him then."

Chiaki grinned, and hurried off to do as he was told.

"Your brother?" Satori asked, to fill the silence.

Still frowning, Iwaizumi folded his arms. Satori wasn't sure if the gesture was designed to intimidate, but the sight of Iwaizumi's impressive biceps straining his t-shirt certainly caught his attention. "Yes," Iwaizumi said simply. 

"Ah."

They were saved from making any further conversation by Oikawa's appearance. He stepped out of the other room, sidling up behind Iwaizumi, then stopping short when he caught sight of Satori.

"You," Oikawa said, his eyes narrowing. "What are you doing here?"

Satori cleared his throat. He forced his expression to remain neutral. "Oikawa-kun," he said, nodding in place of his usual manic grin. "I—I guess I came to apologise."

"You came to apologise," Oikawa said, watching him with a wary look on his face. "Why? Did Ushijima tell you to come here?"

"No?" Satori said, frowning. "I just—I've been thinking about things, lately. I think…I'm supposed to be here." 

Oikawa huffed. "Fascinating as all this is, what does it have to do with me?"

"Oi." Iwaizumi uncrossed his arms and cuffed Oikawa's shoulder. "Hear him out."

"Iwa-chan! Don't side with the enemy!" 

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. "The least you could do is listen to him. You're not exactly a saint yourself."

Oikawa glared at him. "What do you want me to do, invite him in for tea?"

"I like tea," Satori quipped, unable to help himself. 

Iwaizumi glanced at him. "Come in," he said, stepping back, and giving Oikawa a quelling look when he started to protest. "You can stay for ten minutes. Then we're taking the kids to their swimming lesson."

"Got it," Satori said, scampering across the threshold. "Thanks, Iwaizumi-kun."

He slipped off his shoes, and followed the other two boys into a comfortable, untidy front room. Chiaki was doing some kind of messy papercraft at a table in the back of the room, with another young boy with short, dark hair. The second boy looked up at his entrance, eyes widening. "Woah. Is that—"

"Take-chan, go upstairs," Oikawa said sharply.

The boy's mouth dropped open, but before he could argue, Iwaizumi walked over and put a hand on his and Chiaki's shoulders. "Come on, Takeru. We need to talk about some grown up things while you two get ready for your swimming class."

Grumbling, the two boys nevertheless allowed themselves to be herded up the stairs. Satori and Oikawa stood, pretending to ignore one another like wary cats until Iwaizumi returned. 

"Alright," he said, folding his arms again as he glanced between them. "Make it quick."

Oikawa gave Satori a pointed look.

He took a deep breath. "Okay, uh—look, I'm not really—apologies aren't my thing," he said, sighing heavily. "But—I went after you back at that party in January, and I—apologise for that."

They both stared at him. 

"Well, thanks," Iwaizumi said into the silence.

"No, not 'thanks'," Oikawa snarled. "You think one pitiful little 'I'm sorry' gets you off the hook for being a shitty human being for the past _five years_?"

"Oikawa—" Iwaizumi said in a warning tone.

Oikawa ignored him. "What about all the other times? The insults and the jibes, winding us up during games, trying to rattle my players because you knew that was the only way you could win—"

" _Shittykawa_ —"

"That's volleyball," Satori said, shrugging. "You don't really think I'm gonna say sorry for being good at what I do."

Iwaizumi put a hand on Oikawa's shoulder. "No, he doesn't," he said, giving Oikawa a _look_. "But, thanks, for saying that thing about the party. We accept your apology."

"No we do not," Oikawa snapped, shrugging him off. He pointed an accusing finger at Satori. "You're just here to make yourself feel better because Ushijima had the good sense to tell you where to get off—"

" _Tooru_ ," Iwaizumi snapped suddenly. Oikawa's shoulders stiffened. "Shut the fuck up."

Satori glanced between them curiously. "Uh, okay, ouch," he said with heavy sarcasm. "How do you know about that anyway?"

"Where do you think he went after your little misadventure?" Oikawa asked crossly. "I'm surprised you even bothered to tell him about your girlfriend. It's not like he would have known any different. You could've had everything you wanted."

Satori took a slow, steady breath. He was good at hiding his feelings—he'd been practicing for a very long time—but it took a great deal of effort to keep his face neutral at the knowledge that Ushijima had gone straight from his place to see Oikawa, that he'd told them everything. He knew that they were Ushijima's friends now, but knowing didn't make it any harder to stomach. 

While he was still scrambling for a comeback, Iwaizumi stepped between them then, putting his hand on Oikawa's chest. "You," he said, slow and careful. "Are gonna shut up right now, or I'm gonna put my fist through your face."

Oikawa smirked at him. "I thought you liked my face, Iwa-chan."

"I don't like it enough that I won't break your nose if you deserve it," Iwaizumi growled. Oikawa's gaze narrowed, and they stared at one another for several moments, arguing silently with their eyes. 

"I see you two finally worked things out," Satori drawled.

"Watch it," Iwaizumi snapped, glancing over his shoulder. "I'm this close to throwing you out in the street."

Satori grinned. "Not denying it then?"

Oikawa rolled his eyes. "Not all of us are emotionally constipated, Tendou-kun," he said with a dangerous smile. "Now did you come here to talk, or did you come to make petty jibes?"

"Hmm," Satori mused. "Both?"

"I'll throw him out," Iwaizumi growled. 

Satori groaned. "Alright, wait, wait—" he said, holding up both hands. Both boys looked back at him with expectant expressions. Satori took a deep breath and forced himself to swallow his pride. "I really—I really am sorry for being a prick. It's a hard habit to shake, but I'm trying."

"I'm sure your girlfriend appreciates that," Oikawa said sarcastically. Iwaizumi jabbed him in the ribs with an elbow. "Oof—!"

"What did—" Satori began, and paused, biting his lip. "Did he say anything to you guys?"

Oikawa exchanged a look with Iwaizumi. As usual, they seemed to have an entire conversation with a mere raised eyebrow, the flicker of a frown. Finally, Oikawa sighed. "Alright, alright. He said that you'd fought, and that he said some horrible things to you. Personally, I think you probably deserved it, but he seemed to regret it."

"But he doesn't want to see you," Iwaizumi added, wincing. "Sorry. I think he needs time." 

"Time," Satori said, nodding to himself. "Yeah."

"From the sounds of things, you're pretty good at disappearing when you want to." Satori looked up, but Oikawa merely quirked an eyebrow and stared him down. "Am I wrong?"

Satori looked away. "I should go. Thanks for talking to me."

"It was our _pleasure_ ," Oikawa said with exaggerated care. 

"Just give him some time," Iwaizumi said, as Satori retreated toward the door. "He's not the kind of guy to hold a grudge. He cares about you a lot. I think he was hurt more than anything. He—well, yeah. You probably already know how he feels about you."

Satori turned and blinked at him. "Do I?"

Iwaizumi looked surprised. "Well...yeah. You don't think he'd go to bed with just anyone, do you?"

"Guess not," Satori said, forcing a smile. "Well, thanks for your time. Enjoy your judo class."

"Swimming," Oikawa corrected, his own smile icy. "Goodbye, Tendou-kun. _Do_ keep in touch."

"Hey," Iwaizumi said sharply, but he was looking at Satori and not Oikawa. He clenched his hand into a fist and gave Satori a decisive nod. "Don't give up on him." 

Satori felt lighter as he stepped back out into the cold wind. He thought about texting Semi to share the strangeness of the conversation he'd just had, but he resisted the urge. It would involve too much explaining, not to mention admitting to someone else how close he'd come to cheating on Hideko. After a moment, he took out his phone and dialled her number instead. 

_"Hey, babe, what's up?"_

Satori took a deep breath. "We need to talk."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fight-o! this should _definitely_ wrap up next ch, which I'll get out asap :3

**Author's Note:**

> [RT on twitter]() | [my ushiten fic](https://archiveofourown.org/works?utf8=%E2%9C%93&commit=Sort+and+Filter&work_search%5Bsort_column%5D=revised_at&include_work_search%5Brelationship_ids%5D%5B%5D=6852475&work_search%5Bother_tag_names%5D=Tendou+Satori&work_search%5Bexcluded_tag_names%5D=&work_search%5Bcrossover%5D=&work_search%5Bcomplete%5D=&work_search%5Bwords_from%5D=&work_search%5Bwords_to%5D=&work_search%5Bdate_from%5D=&work_search%5Bdate_to%5D=&work_search%5Bquery%5D=&work_search%5Blanguage_id%5D=&fandom_id=758208&user_id=notallbees)


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